The Beachland Ballroom is holding a memorial on Saturday to help pay funeral costs for the late Cleveland writer, who died on July 12.
Of course, the show will also pay tribute to one of the area's most distinctive voices: the writer of the great American Splendor comic, an informed jazz critic, and the dude who was banned from David Letterman's late-night show in the '80s because he pissed of NBC's GE bosses.
The show — which starts at 8 p.m. — will feature performances by Cats on Holiday, Yiddishe Cup, Pere Ubu's Dave Thomas, and Charlie Mosbrook. Others will probably also show up. Tickets are $10.
The Beachland, which is organizing the show, has this to say:
Things are complicated in the aftermath of our friend Harvey's life. According to his wife/writing partner Joyce Brabner, he didn't really finalize a will, and there was no burial plot. ... Now Harvey's sort of moving on up and the urn carrying his cremated remains will be laid to rest close to Eliot Ness thanks to the Lakeview [Cemetery] folks. Some friends have talked to Joyce about creating a statue of Harvey (hands in his pockets, shoulders shrugging no doubt), but she says it will have to be inscribed with "What Do You Want From Me?" There is indeed something very poetic and Cleveland about the idea of tourists in Lolly the Trolley coming by Eliot Ness's grave, and finding out favorite homegrown curmudgeon. So Joyce is not broke of course, but cashflow is an issue and we want to help. We ... are bound and determined to celebrate Harvey's honest down-to-earth spirit and raise a little cashflow since he just spent time at the Beachland on July 3 when his pals Brave Combo played. This is not the official send off, but just an effort to lend a hand. We are still pulling things together on this, but rest assured it will be a gathering of the tribes.
Sounds like it could be a great show. Harvey would've hated it. —Michael Gallucci
